The Amadeo system, invented by Bovet, converts a wristwatch into a table clock or a pocket watch. The Miss Audrey and Monsieur Bovet styles, each of which can be personalised with miniature painting on the dial or a case engraving, are fine examples.

It took Pascal Raffy and the Bovet technicians seven years to develop the Amadeo system. This ingenious patented mechanism serves to convert a timepiece in a few simple movements. When the two cabochons on either side of the bow are pressed at the same time, the top strap at 12 o’clock band is released. Once this has been removed, the rear bezel is released and can be easily opened to free the lower strap at 6 o’clock. Simply turn over the timepiece and replace the strap to wear it with the other side facing up. Once the strap has been removed, the timepiece can also be set up as a table clock, with the opened rear bezel serving as a stand. A third transformation is also possible once the bracelet has been removed and the rear bezel has been closed: the case can be attached to a chain or a long necklace by pressing the bow cabochons to become a pocket watch or a pendant watch.

Miss Audrey

Miss Audrey is powered by a self-winding mechanical movement, while its steel case is enhanced by a diamond-set bezel and bow. Its dial reveals a date aperture at 6 o’clock. Two serpentine hands indicate the hours and minutes, while the quarters are punctuated by diamond-set markers. Miss Audrey is presented on a satin strap accompanied by a long necklace chain. Measuring 36mm in diameter, this timepiece’s case is crafted in steel, a lighter material that makes it comfortable to wear as a pendant necklace.

Monsieur Bovet

Powered by the Virtuoso II à spécialités horlogères in-house caliber, this piece displays the hours and minutes on both front and back, as well as the seconds with their patented double coaxial display. This means that the seconds can be read on either side of the movement and share the same axis, despite moving in opposite directions. The true legitimacy of this feat emerges when it is combined with the convertible Amadeo case of a Monsieur Bovet. The first side presents an off-centered hour and minute dial at 12 o’clock that reveals the construction of the movement. The seconds carriage at 6 o’clock completes the vertical axis with its triple hand, each arm of which successively traces 120° of the scale on its dial. The center wheel and its bridge, visible at 4 o’clock, mirror the balance spring and balance cock, while the power reserve indicator can be found at 10 o’clock. The second face is adorned with a “fan” guilloché motif – a design unique to Bovet and produced in its Manufacture de Cadrans – while the seconds counter at 6 o’clock is highlighted by a satin finish.

The Art of Personalization

As early as the 19th century, Edouard Bovet offered personalized pieces, which were the making of Bovet’s reputation. Only a few Maisons have managed to preserve these artistic crafts and Bovet is one of them. The solid dials of Monsieur Bovet and Miss Audrey are the perfect backdrop for a miniature painting, while the case middles, bezels, and bows lend themselves to engraving or gem-setting. These arts are executed by the Maison’s artisans in accordance with collectors’ wishes.